Mallorca hit back for win

Real Mallorca hit back from a half-time deficit to inflict a fifth defeat in six games on stuttering high-flyers Espanyol, winning 2-1.

Mallorca had a bad start, missing a ninth-minute penalty through Gonzalo Castro, then seeing Espanyol hit the woodwork before falling behind in the 17th minute when Alvaro Vazquez netted for the hosts.

However, Michael Laudrup's side deservedly bounced back in the second half and drew level through the ever-dangerous Pierre Webo in the 63rd minute before Emilio Nsue slotted in the winning goal seven minutes from time.

The victory lifts mid-table Mallorca up to 34 points, six behind fifth-placed Espanyol, who had ended a run of four successive defeats with a 4-1 home triumph over Real Sociedad at the weekend.

Mallorca had lost their previous two outings, going down to Sociedad and Barcelona, but they had the chance to get their noses in front early this evening after Espanyol defender Jordi Amat was adjudged to have brought down Webo in the area.

The visitors spurned that chance though as Espanyol goalkeeper Carlos Kameni dived to his right to keep out Castro's penalty.

It could have been even worse for Mallorca as well as, from the resulting corner, Espanyol staged a rapid breakaway courtesy of Kameni's quick throw out and Jose Maria Callejon was unlucky to see his low shot come back off the post.

However, 10 minutes after that Espanyol were celebrating taken the lead, as Callejon picked out Vazquez's well-timed run into the area and the teenage striker coolly slotted past Dudu Aouate.

Both sides had chances to add to the scoreline in the remainder of an entertaining first half, with Kameni and Aouate both doing well, while Mallorca can feel hard done by to have seen an Nsue header ruled out for offside.

The second half saw Webo take centre-stage for the visitors and he felt he should have equalised in the 60th minute after heading a corner wide at the near post.

Webo looked far from impressed by that miss, but he was much happier three minutes later as he drew Mallorca level.

Sergio Tejera curled in a free-kick from the right and Webo got on the end of it to send a powerful header inside the near post for his sixth goal of the season.

The experienced Cameroon international caused more problems in the 81st minute and was unfortunate to see his thumping left-footed drive came back off the post with his countryman Kameni beaten.

Espanyol's goal would not survive Mallorca's next serious attack though, and after Kameni had parried Akihiro Ienaga, Nsue was on hand to tap in from close range for the match-winning strike.